Machine for making fences



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. GABEL.

MACHINE FOR MAKING FENCES N0. 357,916. Patented Feb. 15, 1887.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2. V

(No Model.)

L. GABEL.

MACHINE FOR MAKING FENCES.

No. 357,916. Patented Feb. 15, 1887.

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WITNESSES .dttorney r4 TENS, PhulwLiihognphev. Washington. D c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUOIAN GABEL, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES GABEL ANDHENRY G-ABEL, BOTH OF MINNEAPOLIS, KANSAS.

, MACHBNE FOR MAKING FENCES.

SPECIFICATIONfor-ming part of Letters Patent No. 357,916, dated February15, 1887. Application filed December 11, 1886. Serial No. 221,281. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUOIAN GABEL, of Kansas City, in the county ofJackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful'Improvements in Machines for \Viring Wood Fences; and I do herebydeclare that the following isa full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of to reference marked thereon,'which form part of thisspecification, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of myimprovedfence-machine as ready for use in constructing a section of picketfence. Fig. 2 is a' detail I 5 vertical section of the tension-bar. Fig.3 is a cross-section of the tension-bar on line or m, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa detail longitudinal vertical section of the tightener. Fig. 5 is afront View of the setting-bar and one of its adjust- .eo ing-pinsdetached. Fig. 6 is a view of the first twisting-iron. Fig. 7 is asimilar view of the second twisting-iron. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are detailsof the various parts.

The invention relates to improvements in machines or devices for wiringwood fences;

and it has for its objects to provide an improved tension device forholding the wires suffioiently taut without rasping or injuring theirsurfaces, and also to provide means for suitably stretching the wiresand setting the palings; and the invention consists .in the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described, and fullyillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

A, Fig. 1, designates the tension-bar of the device, by which the innerends of the various pairs of wires are held in place, the outer ends ofthe wires being properly secured to the starting-post of the fence, asusual. This ten- 4 sion-bar is made of a single plank of suitablethickness, and is provided at regular or desired intervals in its lengthwith circular openings at, about three inches in diameter. On each sideof these openings at are the semicircular recesses a, much smaller thanopenings at, and diametrically opposite each other on a line drawncentrally through openings (4 at right angles to the side edges of barA.

B are circular blocks of equal width with 5 bar A and corresponding insize to openings a, in which they are fitted and turn, each block Bbeing provided with two circular recesses, b, diametrically oppositeeach other and adapted to be brought into coincidence with the recessesa of bar A.

O G designate washers of circular form and large enough to completelycover the openings a and prevent entrance of dirt or grit therein. Thesewashers are secured to the blocks B, on each side of bar A, by suitablebolts, and the washers on one side of the bar are provided withoutstanding arms 0, by which they can be turned, and consequently turnthe block 13. These arms are provided with pins 0, attached'to the armsby short cords or chains, and which, by engaging suitable perforationsor holes suitably formed in bar A, as shown, regulate the position ofthe blocks 13, as hereinafter. referred to.

i D D designate two parallel holes or conduits extending edgewisethrough the tension'bar and through the blocks B B in the line of therecesses a 1). Through these holes D are passed the wires of the fence,the holes in the blocks and bar being made to correspond, and then byturning the arms 0, and consequently blocks B, the wires are bent andany desired tension or grip upon them is obtained. The recesses a and bin the block and bar, respectively, prevent any abrasion of the wiresheld thereby, as is evident.

E designates a link-bar adapted to be engaged in any one of aseries ofholes, d, in the bar A, and by which the same is connected to thestretcher F, hereinafter described. The 8 top of the tension-bar may beprovided with holes or other device by which stay-ropes can be fastenedto it to keep the bar vertical when in operation, if desired.

' F designates the stretcher or tightening device, composed of the baseF and sliding bar F, which moves in guideloopsf, secured to base F. Theinner end of bar F" is provided on its lower surface with a catch, f,adapted to engage a rack or series of teeth secured to the base F, orformed therein, as shown.

G designates a lever secured to the inner end of bar F by asuitablelink,and having its lower end bifurcated, as shown in Fig. 3, soas to engage the rack of base F and actuate the bar F The end of base Fnearest lever G is provided with a staple or suitable device, by

which it can be secured to a stake or stump, and the end of bar Fopposite lever G is provided with suitable means for attaching it to thelink E of the tension-bar.

H designates a spacing-bar,which is of suitable size and height andprovided with a number of openings, h, as shown, through which the wiresof the fence pass, and by which the required distance apart of the pairsof wires and the wires in each pair is maintained, the wires beingpassed through this spacing-bar before attachment to the starting-postof the fence, or before being secured in the tensionbar, as may be mostconvenient, the position of the spacing-bar being between the tensionbarand startingpost. W

I I are spacing-pins having fiat broad heads, as shown, and adapted tobe inserted in any of a series of holes, 2', in bar H, and each pin hasattached a key, t", adapted to engage one of a series of holes in theshanks of the pins through suitable cross-openings to holes z in bar H,as shown, to regulate the distance of the heads of the pins from bar II.

J designates one form of wire-twisting iron of substantially the shapeshown in Fig. 6, having the two vertical notchesj j extending to itscenter and the interposed finger or arm j.

K designates another form of wire-twisting iron, formed of two rods, 7t70, having their ends tapered and bent in opposite directions and weldedor suitably secured across each other in X form, as shown in Fig. 7.

The manner of using the machine is as follows: The wires, being securedto the startingpost in the usual manner, are passed rearward throughspacing-bar H to tension-bar A ,where they are retained by the describedmeans. The tension-bar, by means of its loop E, is attached to the bar Fof tightener F, the tension-bar and tightener being placed sufficientlydistant from the startingpost to allowthe making'of a fence-section, oras fartherefrom as the character of the ground or work will permit. Thetightener F is anchored by a rope or chain attached to its base F to astump or peg, its bar F being extended outward over base F, so that whenall the parts are adjusted, as described, the lever G may be worked andthe bar F closed upon base F, as described, and the wires sufficientlytightened. Thespacingpins I are then adjusted in position on bar H bythe means described, so that the distance between their heads and theadjoining surface of the bar will be the determined width of spacebetween the pickets or palings of the fence. The bar H is then moved upon the wires until its pins I impinge against the surface of thestarting-post. One of the twistingirons, J or K, is then placed on apair of the wires between the post and the bar H, with one arm betweenthe wires of the pair, and turned, twisting the wires in opposite directions, as shown, and after all the pairs have been twisted successivelythe bar H is moved back and a paling inserted between the wires andforced back against the first twist in the wires. The bar H is thenbrought forward until its points impinge against the edge of the paling,and the operation of twisting the wire again repeated, as described.

It is obvious from the foregoing that when in operation the tensionbar Awill permit the wires to pay through it after a certain predeterminedtension is obtained on them, so that the operator will not have toloosen the tightener F as the section of fence nears completion, aswould be necessary in ordinary forms of machines, in which theretaining-bar for the wires has to be moved up toward the starting-postas the number of twists in the wire increases, and that owing to thepeculiar construction of the tension devices, as described, the wireswill not be at all injured in their. passage through the tension-bar, asis generally the case with present tension devices, in which the wiresare generally scored or roughened, both weakening the wire andincreasing its tendency to rust.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent,

1. In a wire-and-wood-fenec machine, a tension device composed of a bar,A, provided with a suitable number of circular openings,

as described, and blocks 13, fitting in the openings of bar A, andprovided with the washers O O, the blocks and bar being provided withthe pairs of parallel holes or conduits through which the wires arepassed,and means,substantially as set forth, for turning and securingthe blocks B to vary the tension on the wires, all substantially in themanner and for thepurpose described.

2. The combination, with the tension-bar A, constructed and operatedsubstantially as set forth, of a spacing-bar, H, placed upon the wiresbetween the tension-bar and startingpost, and provided with theadjustable pins I, for regulating the distancebetween the paling, andmeans, substantially as described, to twist the wires between thespacing-bar and paling, all substantiallyin the manner and for thepurpose described. 7

3. In a machine for wiring wood fences, a tightening device, F, composedof base-piece F, having a suitable rack and means for securing it to ananchor at one end, and bar F moving in guide-loops on the base-piece,adapted to be attached to one end of the wire-tension bar, and having atits other end a hook to engage'the rack of the base-piece, and a lever,G, secured to bar F and operating the latter, all substantially in themanner and for the purpose specified.

4:. In a fence-wiring machine, the combination, with the tension-bar A,having a number of separate tension devices for the wires, constructedas described, of the tightener F, com-' posed of base-piece F, providedwith a rack, and suitably secured to a fixed anchor, and bar F moving onbase F, and connected at one end by suitable means with a link, E,adjustable at various points on thebarA, and having having adjlisting-pins I, all constructed and at the other end a hook, and aratchet-lever, adaptedto operate substantiallyin the manner G, allconstructed and adapted to operate su'band for the purpose set forth.stantially as set forth. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 5-5. A machine for wiring wood fences, eonmy own Iaffix my signatureinpresence of two I5 sisting of the tension-bar A,having means,subwitnesses. stantially as described, for regulating the ten- LUOIANGABEL. sion of the wires, tightener F, composed of Vitnesses: base F,and bar F actuated by lever G, and W. J. WELSH,

10 a rack on the base-piece, and spacing-bar.H, EDWARD WOOD.

